The Lutenants have, I believe produced some of the best soca tracks in the UK, but they’ve been off the scene for a little while. However, the month of May sees them release a brand new track, called Paradise. Here’s what they had to say when I got in touch.
Where have you guys been? It seems like an age since we last heard from you.
We took a hiatus from music to focus on personal lives and to rediscover our love for music.
For a little while you had split up. What happened, and what brought you back together as a duo?
I guess you could say we decided to stop doing music mainly due to frustration, but the return was because we love making music and couldn’t deny that we missed the creative processes of making feel-good music.
What would you say, if someone asked: who are the Lutenants, and what defines you?
Lutenants are a UK based melodic duo with heavy influences from the Caribbean, US and African market. What defines Lutenants is the ability to merge different genres, while encapsulating a great concept with smooth harmonies
Which islands do you represent?
We feel strongly connected to the UK, as this is our home and where we garner our influences, but individually, Volcano represents the island of Dominica and Freshh represents the island of Saint Lucia.
Ok, so I know this may be going back a few years but I really liked your work back in 2012/2013 with tracks such as Waterfall and Betray. I think your new track, Paradise, is a departure from that sound. Why the change?
Thank you! We pride ourselves on our versatility as artists in any genre, and we feel that with us as artists living in the UK, our current sound fits in with the emerging UK market, as well as being a sound we love to create.
What’s the meaning behind the song Paradise?
The meaning behind Paradise is just an affirmation that your goal can be achieved if you work hard for it. Paradise is a metaphor for any achievement you desire, and which you need to work for. Once you start working towards it, you start to feel like you’re closer to attaining your goal.
Can we look forward to more tracks in the lead up to Notting Hill Carnival 2018? Or are you making music for any time of the year?
We have another single planned for later on in the year. We love NHC, but it will not dictate how and when we release music now, or in the future.
What do you think about the state of soca music here in the UK? Do you think it’s getting better?
There is a real buzz from the artists this year, which is super exciting. More than ten tracks have already been released for 2018, so the artists are doing their part to maintain interest and build momentum.
I’d like to thank the Lutenants for taking time out to speak to us. Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Thank you so much Soca News for supporting us in various ways over the years, especially by providing us with a platform to perform in the UK Soca Monarch Competitions.
Finally, how can fans connect with you?
They can connect with us through our multiple social media platforms:
Instagram | instagram/lutenants
YouTube | youtube.com/lutenantstv
facebook | facebook.com/lutenants
